Asim Munir, Erdogan Discuss Regional Security

News Desk

Islamabad: Pakistan and Türkiye have signalled a renewed push to strengthen their strategic and defence partnership, as Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir held high-level talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday against the backdrop of evolving regional security challenges.

According to Turkish media, the meeting focused on regional security, expanding defence cooperation and the latest developments in the Middle East. The two sides also exchanged views on ways to deepen strategic collaboration between Islamabad and Ankara.

Field Marshal Munir, who arrived in Türkiye on Monday, was received by President Erdogan at Ankara Airport, according to the Turkish Presidency. He later met Türkiye’s Chief of General Staff, General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu, after being accorded a guard of honour by a tri-services contingent of the Turkish Armed Forces.

Highlighting the close military relationship, the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad described the defence partnership as one “rooted in brotherhood, mutual trust and a shared strategic vision,” saying cooperation between the armed forces of both countries continues to expand.

The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and Türkiye are steadily broadening their strategic engagement beyond traditional diplomatic ties. Defence cooperation has emerged as one of the strongest pillars of the bilateral relationship, with both countries increasingly collaborating on military hardware, training and defence technology.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met President Erdogan in Istanbul, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and set an ambitious target of increasing annual trade to $5 billion.

Military cooperation between the two countries has also gained momentum in recent years. Türkiye is constructing MILGEM corvette warships for the Pakistan Navy, has modernised a number of Pakistan Air Force F-16 fighter jets and has expanded collaboration with Islamabad in drone technology and defence production.

The growing partnership has also fuelled discussions about wider regional defence cooperation. In January, Minister for Defence Production Raza Hayat Harraj revealed that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye had prepared a draft defence agreement after months of consultations, although he clarified that it remained separate from an earlier bilateral Saudi-Pakistan arrangement.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan later confirmed that discussions on a possible trilateral defence framework had taken place but said no agreement had yet been finalised. He stressed that greater regional cooperation would depend on mutual confidence among participating countries.

Field Marshal Munir’s visit underscores the continuing strategic convergence between Pakistan and Türkiye as both countries seek to strengthen defence collaboration while responding to an increasingly complex regional security environment. Additional input from foreign media.